Undercover Pastor

Back to the Podcasting To Do List

Let’s review our checklist for getting a podcast set up. So far, in part 1 and part 2, we have accomplished steps 1 and 2. Let’s cross ‘em out. (I love crossing things off of my to do list.)

1. A digital audio recording of the content you want to be in your podcast
2. A finished MP3 format file of the content
3. A appropriate web hosting service with lots of space for your files (if you make a good choice here, the next steps are easier).
4. Software to upload (FTP) your files to the web server.
5. Software for podcasting (provided by some hosting options)
6. Time to go and register your podcast with half a dozen podcast sites (including Apple’s iTunes)
7. A dedicated volunteer (could be you) who will be willing to post your podcast episodes regularly. It takes a long time to build up subscribers, and you’ll lose them if you’re not consistent.

Web Hosting

Let’s look at setting up web hosting. You may already have a church website, but that may not be the easiest way to get your podcast set up.

› Continue reading…

We just had our Ash Wednesday worship service at Trinity this week.

It turns out that the traditional way to produce the ashes for the worship service is to save some of the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday and burn them to create the ashes.

There’s something deep and true about it…  Palm Sunday is when we remember Jesus’ trimphant entry into Jerusalem.  Everyone was singing praises, throwing down their coats before him, and waving palm branches as they would to welcome royalty.  But within days, they were shouting to ”crucify him.”  It is the symbol of these feigned praises that we burn and mark ourselves with as we enter into a time of reflection and self-examination.

Are we doomed to repeat this cycle endlessly, or can the power of the Risen Christ burn away our pretension and lead us into an authentic faith that can endure?  That is the promise of Easter.  But we can’t get there until we walk the road to the cross.

In part one, we talked about recording the audio. Now that you recorded the content you want to include in your podcast, you’ll need to get it into an MP3 file – the audio file format used by podcasts. This can be very simple or very complex depending on the end result you’re looking for.

But first, let’s take a look at where we’re going. Here are the things that you’ll eventually need to get the podcast going.

1. A digital audio recording of the content you want to be in your podcast
2. A finished MP3 format file of the content
3. A appropriate web hosting service with lots of space for your files (if you make a good choice here, the next steps are easier).
4. Software to upload (FTP) your files to the web server.
5. Software for podcasting (provided by some hosting options)
6. Time to go and register your podcast with half a dozen podcast sites (including Apple’s iTunes)
7. A dedicated volunteer (could be you) who will be willing to post your podcast episodes regularly. It takes a long time to build up subscribers, and you’ll lose them if you’re not consistent.

But now, we’re working on getting our MP3 file created.

› Continue reading…

My hat is off to those who care for children fulltime. Eleanor had some minor surgery about two weeks ago so I got to do what she does on a dily basis. It was very hard. That wasn’t a surprise to me, but experiencing something always makes it more real.

I love and enjoy my kids, but just figuring out what to do to keep the kids busy without resorting to watching TV or videos was tough. Then trying to get any of the housework done at the same time was next to impossible. And I was fried at the end of the day.

All you moms or dads or others who are primary caregivers for children, I salute you!